You could be Happy
by xxEscapethestars
Summary: Is it too late to remind you, how we were? CloudxTifa during Advent Children based on Snow Patrol's song You could be happy.
1. Chapter 1

_You really have changed, haven't you?_

The spikey haired blonde sat solemnly on the bar stool, taking a shot. He quivered at the bitter taste, his mouth twisting slightly. Tifa watched. Her full attention on the man she loves.

"One more," One slurred, his deep voice cut through Tifa's thoughts. The raven-haired girl snapped from her trance and poured the liquor in his shot glass. From the corner of her eye she felt his gaze upon her. For a brief second.

But it was enough for her. A small smile tugged on her lips. She caught his gaze again, surprisingly he kept it.

_Nope, he's still there somewhere._

With a small huff, Cloud stood up. He stumbled a bit, the alcohol making him weary. Tifa tilted her head to the side. He was tipsy. _You never were a heavy drinker._ After watching his condition, the girl walked over to his side. Cloud felt her hand holding his for support. His eyes darted to hers; her gaze was warm and inviting. The warmth of her rich brown eyes bore through his frosty ones. He swore her gaze can melt ice.

"I'm fine." He returned to his solemn state, shrugging off her arm abruptly. Tifa's eyes descended to the floor. She smirked to herself, mockingly. _What was I thinking? He's gone. _The pain of rejection washed over her slowly. Like tides it came and gone. She watched him leave the bar, slamming the door behind him. She worried at the thought of him driving. _It's too dangerous._ She ran out the door, ignoring the angry drunken customers yelling after her. Cloud sat on his motorcycle, his headlights flashed.

"Cloud!" She called after him, standing in front of the bright lights. He ignored her and swerved the motorcycle around her.

"Cloud!" She shrieked, shocking the blonde. He stopped the motorcycle and sighed deeply. Warm tears trickled down her ashen face. Tifa was surprised at the rush of emotions she felt; she was supposed to be strong. Cloud got off, his back still facing Tifa, his mind was a bit foggy. Silence followed and her sobs grew louder. The last time he saw her cry was when her father deceased. He knew that she would be troubled when he would leave, not attend to the kids needs or simply ignore her calls, but this…it didn't suit Tifa.

"Tifa," He started, trying hard _not_ to sound compassionate. She inhaled, head shaking fiercely.

"_Please_, don't act like you care." She managed to speak, her voice cracked weakly. Cloud shifted his feet, looking up at the sky. His oceanic eyes shut and he exhaled deeply, he felt nauseous or maybe it was just the alcohol.

"Tifa," Once again, his voice was monotone. Composing herself, Tifa turned to face his back; her glare was burning holes through the back of his head.

"Tell me you don't love me, say it once in my eyes and I promise I will leave you alone." He smiled dimly, knowing that loneliness was the last thing he needed right now. She grew impatient, her hands balled into fists.

"You can't. You do love me,"

"I'm not fit to love anyone." He said, finally turning to meet her. His striking blue yes stayed low. He didn't want to get lost in those deep chocolate eyes again.

"Love makes one weak. It happened to me before and I lost _everything_." He stated, dwelling on past events. Tifa realized he was talking about Zack and Aerith. Her eyes broke contact with his, not wanting to face him anymore.

_So you loved her?_

She felt the ache in her heart grow, spreading to every nerve in her body.

"You _had_ me." She whispered grimly low. He caught her words, his eyes accidently holding hers. He watched her intently. She looked absolutely devastated. The look was familiar. _She was in love_.

He wished she wasn't.

"You weren't…enough." He said a saddened look on his face. The blonde felt sober, the alcohol was wearing off. He started the motorcycle, driving off into the thick night. Puffs of dust blew in her face and she knew that this was _it_.

**First fanfic for Final Fantasy 7 series! I know I probably did horrible with this. I don't know if I should continue. I hope I did well with Cloud; he's a tad bit difficult to write since he's such an emotional bitch. **

**Love him though! Um yeah so this is T for now, might bump it up to M. I always contemplated about their relationship. Cloud really cared for her when they were younger and I really wished to see a more romantic scene between them in Advent Children. BUT THANKS TO TETSUYA it never happened. -_-**

**Sorry about my rambling, review if you like and all that good stuff. **


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn't hard to forget about last week's events. It was hard to move past it. It's been one week since they last spoke and Tifa wished to keep it that way. Cloud drops by to check on Denzel and occasionally Marlene. They lock eyes one minute, but he breaks contact and leaves without acknowledging her. She sees the pain in his eyes and wishes to release him from his misery.

_If only he'd let me._

"Double scotch single malt." Vincent's brooding voice tore Tifa from her thoughts. Her eyes lit up at the sight of an old friend.

"It's on the house." She smirked, knowing the man never carried enough gil. Vincent returned the smirk with a dark chuckle. Handing him the drink, she sat beside him.

"He lives in the church." Vincent said. Tifa was caught off guard, unsure how Vincent got his information. The man took a shot, and placed the glass down. He sighed heavily.

"The church?" Tifa asked in disbelief. _How does one live in a church?_ Disregarding her thoughts, Tifa gave Vincent her full attention.

"To atone and sanctify himself for his sins. _I guess_."

Tifa raised an eyebrow at the thought of atonement. _He always did blame himself._

"He reminds me of myself, only my atonement was a bit _harsher_." He said with a prideful smirk. Nobody knew of Vincent's gloomy past. He was a closed book and he never disclosed his past to anyone. Not _even Cloud_.

Cloud had labeled him as cold and uncaring, but Tifa always had seen the light in people. Vincent was the silent guy with a brooding past, but he wasn't always uncaring. A few years ago he showed his care for the planet.

"Your _atonement?_" Tifa prodded. He glanced at her, his smirk vanished and he hid under his collar.

"You really don't want to know." His voice became colder and deeper. Tifa took it as a warning and distanced herself. Her mind wandered back to Cloud, hoping he was ok by himself in the church. They sat in silence, both dwelling in past memories. Marlene walked down the stairs, her head hanging down. Tifa looked at Marlene with concern.

"Marlene, are you ok?" Tifa gestured her to come closer. The girl frowned, dragging her feet.

"Where's Cloud?" She asked with a shaky voice. Tifa and Vincent exchanged a glance. He looked the other way, dodging the question slyly. Tifa returned her gaze to Marlene and smiled comfortingly.

"He's taken some time off." She said, assuring Marlene that he would come back. Marlene was not pleased with her answer and stepped back. She opened her mouth, but closed it quickly and decided not to inquire about Cloud's whereabouts. Instead, she ran back up and slammed her door. Vincent looked at Tifa skeptically.

"You can't lie forever." He said, standing to take his leave. Tifa knew he was right, but she couldn't bear to tell the children that Cloud has left… _maybe for forever_. Denzel looked up to Cloud ever since the day he found him near the church.

Tifa was the mother and Cloud played the father. That's the way it had to be and how it should be. Sighing in defeat, Tifa decided it was best to meet him at the church.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The church was probably the most beautiful place in Midgar. The rays of sun engulfed the church, casting a golden aura on the flowers. Cloud grunted as he touched his infected arm. Hazy visions of Sephiroth and Aerith haunted him while Zack's encouraging words replayed in his mind. Cloud sighed as he looked at his arm. The pure white bandage was now tainted with alien matter.

He heard the door creak, quickly rising to his feet and grasping onto his sword. It could be Kadaj and his two brothers. Tifa walked in the church and analyzed the place. The blonde cursed inwardly. _Why was she here?_ She spotted him near the patch of flowers and stopped from nearing. Her face paled deathly at the sight of bandages. Cloud realized his arm was exposed. She exhaled, her eyes fixed on Cloud's.

"Y-You have geostigma?" She stuttered, finally composing herself. He shrugged an obvious look on his face. She neared him, inching closer to his arm.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not as bad as Denzel's." He whispered. He noticed their proximity and backed away immediately. Tifa looked at him, stunned. His eyes lowered as if he felt guilty.

"Why are you here?" He asked rudely.

"I came here to ask when is the house warming party?"

Cloud looked up, his blue eyes locked with her angry brown ones. He didn't laugh at her joke, it only made him angrier.

"You live here now, and you have geostigma." She started, placing a hand over her hip. He stayed silent, wondering who told her. Cloud covered his arm and brushed past her.

"Are you done?" He said, walking coolly down the church. Tifa resisted the urge of punching his pretty little face. _It was probably the only asset he had right now._

"No I came to talk about the kids."

He stopped, turning back to give her his attention. She knew he would only listen if it's about the kids.

"What about them? Are they hurt?" He tried hard to conceal the panic in his voice. Tifa nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. She ignored his question and began to speak, her voice slightly elevated.

"Listen Cloud, I know you could care less about my feelings, but the kids look up to you. You rarely spend time with them."

Cloud shifted on his feet. He _missed_ them terribly, but what if something happened to them? He's not fit to protect them. He breathed and closed his eyes for a mere second. Her gaze was killing him, that's why he always ignored her because she made him feel guilty.

"I check up on them." He defended himself. Tifa rolled her eyes and laughed mockingly. His blue eyes turned a shade darker.

"Wow that's heroic." She spat. Tifa walked up to him and whispered,

"Don't do it for me, do it for _our_ kids." He looked down at her, she was completely distressed.

She left the church quickly, hoping he hadn't seen her teary eyes. Cloud looked up at the blinding sunlight.

"I just want to be forgiven." He prayed.

**Angry Tifa is amazing. –sigh- there is probably a lot of mistakes in this chapter because I was hurrying to publish this ASAP. For those who liked it thanks and for those who didn't sorry. Honestly this was supposed to be a one-shot but I'm such a sap for CloudxTifa so I just had to continue. I had to include my all-time favorite character Vincent. I added a reference to his past, because his love for Lucrezia is SO underrated. **


	3. Chapter 3

The sun peered through the heavy clouds. Morning burnt the sky a deep orange, with gold streaks outlining the horizon. The sight was unusual, but breathtakingly beautiful. Marlene watched Denzel's eyes squint as the sunlight crept in the room. She stood up to close the blinds, but he caught her tiny wrist.

"Let it be." He said. Denzel's lips quirked up, his smile genuine. Marlene felt overjoyed by his newfound happiness. She sat on his bedside and removed the bandage wrapped around his forehead. Her heart stopped. It looked worse; the bandage was oozing with slimy dark matter. He noticed her frightened expression and shook her from her trance.

"Marlene?" His voice trembled. She looked away, blinking her moist eyes. His hand never left her wrist; he felt worry weighing down on him.

"It's shocking to see how much better it looks." Her lie was forced, but believable. His stern expression relaxed, and his grip on her wrist loosened. She placed a gentle hand on his and smiled warmly. Denzel threw his head back and sighed. She wrapped a clean bandage on his head and kissed his cheek before leaving him to bathe in the sun's bright rays.

She watched Tifa in her study; she was staring at her phone, eyes glazed. She sat still, until she realized the small figure studying her from a distance.

"Marlene, what's wrong?"

The girl looked up at Tifa, eyes watering rapidly at the image of Denzel's infected head. She gulped nervously and shuddered. Tifa's warm embrace held her small body, afraid she would collapse on the ground.

"Denzel's worse." She managed to say. Tifa pulled away, looking into Marlene's glassy eyes. The little girl broke into sobs, breathing heavily into Tifa's arms. She felt tears forming in her own eyes and wept along with her.

She knew she shouldn't have made Marlene care for Denzel. She's too young to fight beside Denzel. Her emotion would get in the way and make her weak.

"Marlene, let's go and sleep." She offered her voice a bit shaky. Marlene didn't have the strength to argue so she followed Tifa into her room and felt the soft sheets beneath her. Fatigue overcame her and she fell in a deep sleep. Tifa kissed her forehead and wiped her moist cheeks. It was times like these where she needed Cloud the most.

"It would be nice if you came home to Tifa." Yuffie examined her materia, counting each of them. She heard him snort and chuckle rudely.

"I'd only be a burden." His voice was cold and insecure. Her eyes shot up at him, glaring at his retreating figure.

"Is that how you see yourself? Cloud, if you were a burden then Tifa wouldn't try so hard to bring you back home."

Cloud stopped from leaving, the wooden floors creaked in the church. Her eyes bore holes through the back of his head.

"She doesn't realize that I can't help anyone."

"_Really?"_ Her voice elevated, causing him to face her.

"You helped save the goddamn planet. Now all of a sudden you're not fit to help the kids and Tifa?" Yuffie stepped away from her materia and neared him. She studied his face and saw the dark bags under his eyes and how hollow his cheeks had become. He lost weight.

Cloud didn't need this. He didn't need to cause more pain to his loved ones.

"Saving the world is different from helping the kids. There was a solution then, and now there is no solution to get rid of geostigma." He whispered the last part, lowering his eyes to the floor. Her face fell, and her eyes softened.

"That's why you're hiding, because of Denzel's stigma." She stated, finishing the puzzle. A small victory smile tugged on her lips.

Cloud didn't answer, but simply strode off. He started his motorcycle and drove off in the blazing sunlight.

_I want to be forgiven, I think…_

"_I never blamed you, not once."_

It was her again. That angelic voice soothed his worries and insecurities. Her inner beauty radiated the people around her, and that what made him fall in love with her.

_But I let you die. _He closed his eyes briefly, feeling the bright rays seep in his skin.

_There's only one person you should ask forgiveness from._

His eyes shot open, focusing on the road ahead. His brows furrowed in confusion and shook his head. He knew exactly who she was talking about. His gaze hardened as he stopped in front of the bar. People passed by and stared at his crazed expression. His mouth pressed into a hard line, examining the entrance of the bar. He decided it was best to see the kids after a long three weeks.

He entered the bar, scanning the vacant room. The radio was on, booming voices talked about the stigma and its origins. _She was still here._ He gulped, the guilt returning in painful waves. He walked up the stairs until he reached Denzel's room. Cloud peered, noticing the boy's deep sleep. He let him sleep and walked towards Marlene's room. The door was closed as well, but he opened it slightly catching a glimpse of Tifa and Marlene sleeping in solace.

Her dark locks sprayed across her face, and her hand wrapped securely on Marlene's waist. She looked beautiful, and happy.

This is why he could never go back; he was the nightmare that would wake them from their serene slumber. It seemed like a crime to do so. He stared at Tifa for what seemed like hours. Her eyes shot open, surprising Cloud to the point where he almost stumbled. She blinked a few times, her vision settling. Marlene was still asleep; her small body was curled up into a little ball. Cloud looked away, leaving the room awkwardly. He made it back to the entrance when he felt a small hand clasp around his wrist. Cloud stopped, turning back to face the raven-haired girl. Her warm brown eyes stared at him with surprise and hope.

"I need you to stay." Her voice was pleading. It almost broke Cloud's heart to hear her shattering voice. He realized he didn't have the courage to hold her gaze so he lowered his head.

"Not for me, but for the kids." She breathed, tired from her heavy sleep. Cloud looked at her state, and unexpectedly squeezed the hand on his wrist. He smiled weakly, and walked towards the children's rooms. Tifa smiled, looking down at her wrists. _It was a start._

**I adore Yuffie and her awesome Wutai-ness lol. Thanks for the follows and favs. I wanted to bring Aerith in this chapter; I've always felt like she played as Cloud's conscious. Her encouraging words seem to affect him a lot and that's why I wanted her to be the one to bring him back from his dark loneliness. Review please. Thanks for sticking with me, I honestly felt like I could do much better with this chapter. **


	4. Chapter 4

The kids laughed. It's been a while since their laughter echoed through the halls. She even saw Cloud smile a bit. It was enough to show he still cared. Once the day grew dark, Cloud decided it was best to leave. The kids wished he'd stay overnight, but he said he couldn't. Tifa rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

"Thank you." Her eyes followed his retreating figure. The blonde stopped and turned. She placed down the dishes and started to walk over to him. She felt so awkward, as if it was the first time they met.

"You made them happy." She grinned at him. He nodded silently.

"You could be happy too." His eyes flickered to hers. His mako-blue eyes pierced through hers with such intensity. She felt it hard to stare back.

"I am."

She lied. It was better if he thought she was happy, alone. He looked at her once more, knowing she was lying. He sighed.

"I hope so, goodnight Tifa."

She watched him leave the bar. She felt a little content, he cared for her happiness. He just didn't know that her happiness was to be with him.

_Clueless as ever._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Midgar was in peril. Cloud knew it, but tried his best not to get involved. His thoughts returned to Kadaj and his brothers. They mentioned something about _mother_. He wondered who she was.

Rufus had said it was the remaining parts of Jenova and that they were _arranging_ a second reunion.

_Reunion_. The planet had suffered enough. They couldn't possibly have the power to destroy the planet.

"Vincent." Cloud heard footsteps creak. He was awfully good at sensing people.

"Glad to know you acknowledge me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Vincent smirked, leaning against a tall stone pillar. He watched his friend with curiosity.

Cloud was angry at Vincent. He shouldn't have told Tifa about the church. The thought only made him angrier. Vincent realized he was cross with him, he hid under his collar.

"She was placed in a predicament." He said. Cloud knew he was talking about Tifa.

"Predicament?" Blue eyes sparked up. Vincent tore away from his menacing stare. The tall man let out a hefty sigh.

"Yes, she has a right to know." Vincent defended himself, emerging from his collar. Cloud rolled his eyes, discarding used bandages. It was a rainy afternoon in Midgar. The skies roared with thunder and flashed brightly.

"What is she to you?" His brooding voice caught Cloud off guard. It was strange that he was having this conversation with Vincent_. Possibly the most unromantic man in the world_. Cloud chuckled, shaking his head.

"I am not having this conversation with you." Cloud dodged the question and stood up to face his longtime friend. Vincent looked on impassively a sly smirk on his lips. He walked towards the patch of yellow flowers and sighed.

"Have you atoned for your sins?" He asked a hint of humor in his voice.

The blonde thought carefully, knowing he was far from atoning. Each time he tried to atone, he created more problems for the ones he loved.

"No."

"Have you thought about sleeping in a coffin?" Vincent probed.

"_What_?"

"Nothing," He rushed the smirk still present on his lips. Cloud cocked an eyebrow, completely perplexed by Vincent's inquiries.

"Was that supposed to be a joke?" Cloud asked, his turn to smirk. Vincent chuckled sinisterly, his crimson eyes bore through Cloud.

"An inside joke,"

"Glad to know you have a sense of humor." Cloud stated.

Vincent titled his head to the side and looked at his infected arm.

"Does Tifa know?" He asked his eyes turning a deep shade of crimson. He was genuinely concerned for Cloud. The tall man did his fair share of research on the stigma. No cure. Nothing.

"She visited. I didn't want her to find out. Not like this." Vincent furrowed his brows, not understanding Cloud's intentions.

"What do you mean?"

He sighed, looking at his arm.

"I mean, I was searching for a cure."

"There is none." His face softened. Vincent was terrible at sympathy. Cloud noticed his effort. Cloud stayed silent, a grim look on his face.

"It's fatal, in every case." Vincent said his voice affirmative. Cloud looked at his friend and nodded knowingly. They stood in silence, the rain droplets pattered against the wooden floors. The dark man looked at the huge hole in the ceiling.

"Nice place."

Cloud laughed, genuinely surprised by Vincent's new-found sense of humor.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"He's still there."

"Yep." Tifa agreed with her young friend. Yuffie smiled gratifyingly. Her warm eyes glistened under the florescent lights. Tifa played with her glass of whiskey, sighing loudly in deep thought.

"He's just…hiding." Tifa finished, sipping the amber liquid with saddened eyes. Yuffie frowned, chugging down her drink.

"_Literally." _

"Can you believe that Cloud refused to find the missing children in Wutai? Vincent and I had to do it ourselves." She pouted angrily. Tifa smiled, biting her lips from laughing at Yuffie's complaint.

"And to think he has a soft side for kids." Yuffie chortled, fixing herself another drink. Tifa grabbed her glass and took it from her.

"I think you had enough to drink." She spoke in a motherly tone. Yuffie whined, stomping her feet and glaring at Tifa.

"But I'm not even tipsy yet." She grumbled her face was flushed from the alcohol. Tifa raised an eyebrow as Yuffie tripped out of her chair.

"I'll call Vincent to drive you."

"He has a phone?" Yuffie asked in disbelief. Tifa laughed loudly, nodding her head.

"Marlene hurt his pride the other day so he decided to buy a phone." She recalled the hilarious memory. Yuffie snickered herself.

The two waited outside, the full moon hung gracefully over Midgar. Tifa breathed, taking in the sight of the pale moon.

"It's beautiful."

"Yeah." Tifa nodded in agreement. Their vision was blinded by headlights and dust puffed in the air. They coughed, as the smog finally disappeared. Tifa blinked, and saw a familiar blonde on his shiny black motorcycle. His blue eyes gleamed against the murky night, the stare overpowering her. She felt her cheeks heat up as he locked his eyes for a brief second.

"_Cloud_?" Yuffie's voice broke the silence. He nodded, greeting her nonchalantly. His gaze returned to Tifa, her eyes turned a beautiful shade of burgundy.

"You called?"

"Vincent... I called Vincent." She said, completely mystified. Cloud offered Yuffie a hand and she looked at it warily. The two exchanged a glance. Cloud heaved a sigh, hating to explain.

"He couldn't make it, so he asked me to come."

"And you…agreed?" Tifa asked, concealing the smile that was threatening to form. He shrugged, his uncaring façade kicking in. Yuffie smiled as she took his hand and propped herself on the motorcycle. He gave her a helmet.

"Wear it."

"I'm not a kid Cloud, I can manage without it."

"Aren't you sixteen?" He asked, bewildered. Tifa grinned. He's still so clueless. Yuffie fumed red and Cloud took back the helmet, afraid of her violent attitude.

"_Eighteen_." She seethed, grasping his waist too tightly. He wriggled out her suffocating grasp, but she kept a firm grip. Cloud locked eyes with Tifa, her heart hammered loudly against her chest.

"Later Tifa." He smiled for a split second and the two drove off.

She wondered if he really meant it. _At least it wasn't a goodbye_.

**Sorry bad chapter, I know. School's starting in a week for me so I'm trying my best to update these before I get piled up with homework and projects! Thanks for the reviews! You guys are awesome. =]**


	5. Chapter 5

Tifa occupied Cloud's thoughts lately. Images from the past replayed in his mind. He felt anxiety wash over him. Maybe it was just guilt.

He left her alone with two kids. Yeah. _Just guilt._ Cloud slammed a fist on the ground. The cloaked man didn't flinch or move. He gave his friend time to gather his feelings and speak.

Vincent sipped his old ale, whirling the liquid in his mouth. His gaze was fixed on the bright full moon. The glowing silver trees stood tall, creating an eeire sight. Cloud took the ale from Vincent, drinking it with a sour face.

"You drink now." He noted with a smirk. Cloud shoved the beverage in Vincent's hands and stood up near the sparkling lake.

"Tifa-" He stopped, closing his eyes and breathing in. Vincent looked at him, anticipating his response.

"I-Is it too late?" He asked, genuinely hurt. Cloud stared at his friend, a hopeful sparkle in his eye. Vincent saw the desperation on his face and gave him a lopsided smile.

"Late is better than never." He replied, sighing at the acidic taste in his mouth. Cloud registered his words, it was true. With a swift movement, the blonde dashed to Fenrir and speeded off into the night. Vincent glanced at the moon, his smile vanishing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cloud walked inside the bar, his mako eyes searching for the certain brunette. He frowned when he realized her phone was on the counter.

"Cloud!" Denzel yelled, running towards him.

"Denzel, where's Tifa?" He asked. The little boy looked at him with panic and gulped.

"She and Marlene went to the church this afternoon." He said, looking at the clock that read 10:21 p.m.

Cloud's brows furrowed, tensed at what might've happened. He squeezed his shoulder and smiled.

"I'll bring them back, wait here."

Denzel nodded and Cloud left, hurrying to his motorbike. He passed through red lights, speeding to the church. His heart hammered loudly in chest, beating like drums. He clutched the handlebars tightly, hoping for the best.

Cloud reached the church, scurrying out of his bike and opening the creaky wooden door. He analyzed the place, wooden chairs were broken and splinters adorned the floor. He gulped nervously as he neared the patch of yellow flowers. Tifa laid there, limp. Her skin was pale and there were marks on her face and skin. Cloud rushed to her, holding her up and brushing strands of hair out of her delicate face.

"Tifa..." He called. She was breathing, _thank god_. Her mouth moved, trying to form a word, but fatigue overcame her body.

"Marlene!" She jolted up from his arms, holding her head in pain. The brunette fainted in his arms. He held her closely, leaning to place a kiss on her cheek, his lips lowered but he froze once his head throbbed. The haunting images returned his arm shaking violently, losing feeling and control. Images of Aerith, Zack and Sephiroth clouded his vision and he fell into the thick darkness with Tifa by his side.

"_You've come too far to quit now."_ Her voice spoke gently; waking him from is endless sleep. The blonde felt cool sheets beneath him, warm sunlight flooding the room and burning his eyes.

He felt a weight on his shoulder and lowered his gaze to find Tifa sleeping, holding onto his bicep. He smiled a bit, but remembered Marlene.

_Shit._

"Morning, Sleepyhead." Reno spoke in his lazy drawl. He leaned smugly against the doorframe. Cloud slowly got up, trying not to wake Tifa. He stepped outside of the room, grabbing Reno rudely.

"What happened to Tifa at the church?" He grabbed his collar and stared into his light green eyes. Reno chuckled, shaking off Cloud's hard grip.

"Calm down Spikey."

"Reno." His name was a warning. Rude walked into the room, the bald man eyed Reno, a secret message between the two. Reno pushed Cloud and straightened his clothes.

"Well, we really don't know. I got a call from that quirky girl Yuffie. She and Cape guy found you two in the church. We're scoping the place out for any evidence." Reno explained, looking at Rude. The bald man nodded and began to speak.

"We found this." He pulled out a phone and flipped it open. Cloud's eyes widened, snatching the phone and analyzing it himself. It was Kadaj's brothers.

"It's Loz…You know the emotionally stupid one who cries about anything related to mother." Reno added, chuckling at his joke. Rude cut him off with a glare. Cloud processed the information and returned to Tifa's room. She stirred, her eyes adjusting to the bright sunlight.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, sitting beside her. She squinted and looked at him, wondering why he was in her room.

"Good." She responded skeptically. He smiled, and placed a hand on hers. She gasped a bit, her eyes burned through his.

"Do you know who attacked you?" He asked. She remembered the events of yesterday and groaned in frustration. Tifa relaxed, shuffling on the bed to be more comfortable.

"I almost had him!" She threw a fist in the air. Cloud flinched, surprised at her outburst. She composed herself and blushed when she caught him staring.

"I don't know."

"His name is Loz_. A remnant of Jenova_."

Her eyes darted up at the name. She wondered if Marlene returned safely. "Marlene?"

Reno and Rude walked in, delivering an important message.

"They're at their base. The Forgotten City." Rude informed. Cloud lowered his head, knowing there was going to be a fight. He glanced over at Tifa. She would expect more from him if he was ready to move raven-haired girl raised an eyebrow.

"They're?"

"The other orphan was taken too." Reno said, leaning against the doorframe. Rude smacked his fiery head and muttered an apology to the two.

"Cloud,"

"I can't." He looked at Tifa, his eyes shining with guilt.

"Go." Cloud told Reno. The Turks exchanged a glance and stayed still. Tifa fumed with anger, her crimson eyes turning fiery with rage.

"Dammit Cloud! You think you got it so damn hard. They're _your_ kids as well, how could you just tell these two _Turks _to save them!" Tifa yelled, flustering red. Cloud knew she was right, but he felt insecure. He couldn't place the kids in more danger.

"You know, we can go if you want." Rude added nicely. Tifa looked at him furiously and snorted.

"No Cloud will go." She forced Cloud to look at her. Her hand rested on his cheek, caressing it with comfort. He leaned into her touch and closed his eyes, missing her warmth.

"You can do this." She assured, looking into his gleaming mako eyes. He stared back, feeling the proximity. Reno cleared his throat.

"We'll be outside." They left awkwardly. Cloud placed her hand down, holding it firmly. His eyes flicked to hers, confidence glinted in his cobalt eyes.

"I'll come back soon." He left the room. Tifa dropped her head on the pillow and hoped for his safe return.

**YAY no more pathetic emotional Cloud! Hopefully he really changes this time. Sorry for making Reno such an ass. I actually like Reno's character; him and Rude were such jokes in AC. They deserve some love. Review if you like! **


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